Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Thundering Waters -- A John Daly Signature

That led me to wonder exactly what constitutes a John Daly signature golf course.
Typically having a PGA Tour pro's name on a course is just about marketing. With few exceptions (Ben Crenshaw, Jerry Pate, Mark McCumber), PGA Tour pros simply show up for the media opening, act like they've seen the course before (they have, often when they toured it that morning) and pontificate on how they are really interested in building golf tracks that resemble "the classics." They'll often throw around names like Dornoch and County Down, places they've seen once when they played the 1996 British Open nearby.

Anyway, I assume a John Daly signature means:

1) his wife was involved, and perhaps embezzled from the owners
2) John toured the facility in October at a media stop, downed some brown pops, had a couple of smokes and proclaimed the course similar to Crooked Stick, where he won the PGA Championship. Only, of course, this course is in Niagara Falls
3) He then sold merchandise in the parking lot before heading to the casino, where he dropped a ton of cash.
4) His second visit to the course (which was actually created by the Boris Danoff who designed the wonderfully dull Royal Niagara for the inept Ted Baker & Associates) will be this year for a full-on media event whereby he'll see the whole golf course for the first time -- when he plays it.

Other Canadian courses opening this year include: Grand Niagara, The Heritage Club at Ancaster, The Club at Bond Head, The Ambassador Club and The Ridge at Manitou.

2 Comments:

Actually doesn't it also mean that it will feature a tournament in which he'll shoot 84 in the first round and withdraw from? Plus we all know what a splash Wicked Stick made in Myrtle Beach...John Daly's Wicked Stick...once again, when in Myrtle Beach never play a course with an animal's name;);) But that's OK...in the American Big Media "race to the bottom" ABC, ESPN and CBS just claim all his alcohol fueled troubles, gambling problems and five wives are "just Big John being Big John"..."hey! lunkhead golf fan! look...there's a guy who hits it 400 on the tee! Woo Hoo!"

What can you tell me about the other new courses? Anything remotely exciting?

Also, there's a new one in The Thousand Islands called Smuggler's Glen. Designed and built by Barr and Associates, who have aided in the construction of some well known new courses. The have a website.

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About Me

Robert Thompson writes a golf column for the National Post, Canada's daily national newspaper, and is a contributing editor to Travel and Leisure Golf. He has also written for Golf Magazine, PGATour.com, Ontario Golf, Score Golf and is a course rater for Golf Digest.
Going for the Green will comment on golf issues from course architecture to the PGA Tour, as well as providing regular course reviews.